Farooq promises regional autonomy
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 12: Months after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shunned Congress, the National Conference today also dumped its Alliance partner (Congress) with former Chief Minister and NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah announcing that the party will contest next Assembly elections in the State on its own and win “massive mandate” of the people.
The significant policy announcement by the National Conference president, who was Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy in UPA-II headed by Dr Manmohan Singh for full 5-year term, was made addressing a function in Udhampur district.
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“We won’t tie-up with any political party in the Assembly elections. We will fight the next Assembly elections on our own and emerge victorious with thumping margin,” Farooq announced amidst massive clapping from the NC workers in Udhampur in the presence of senior leaders including Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal and Devender Singh Rana among others.
The National Conference had contested April-May Lok Sabha by-election this year on Srinagar and Anantnag Lok Sabha seats in alliance with each other. While Dr Abdullah was the NC candidate on Srinagar and was supported by the Congress, the PCC (I) chief GA Mir was the Congress candidate on Anantnag seat backed by the NC. Farooq won the seat while the Election Commission had deferred the election in Anantnag due to violence in Srinagar.
Prior to that the NC, Congress had run coalition Government for six years from 2008 to 2014 headed by Omar Abdullah. The two parties had also formed alliance in 2014 Lok Sabha elections with Congress contesting Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh seats and National Conference Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag constituencies. However, the NC and Congress lost all six seats with BJP and PDP winning three each.
Political observers said Farooq’s statement was a clear indication that the National Conference has dumped Congress well in advance as the Assembly elections in the State were due in November-December 2020.
Few months back, Janata Dal-U had shunned Congress and Lalu Prasad with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar again aligning with the BJP and joining NDA.
However, NC working president Omar Abdullah didn’t agree that NC has dumped the Congress.
“The National Conference didn’t contest 2014 Assembly elections together (with Congress) and Lok Sabha by-poll was tactical understanding. So we haven’t dumped anyone,” Omar tweeted immediately after Farooq Abdullah’s major policy statement went viral in political circles as well as social media.
The National Conference announcement has delivered major setback to Congress at national level also as the Opposition party was struggling to find allies for next Lok Sabha elections.
Farooq said: “a stable, strong and people friendly Government is the answer to problems faced in Jammu and Kashmir”.
The National Conference decried the “politics of religion” in Gujarat elections saying some political parties, without naming the BJP, have again started chanting the name of God to secure victory in the elections.
Farooq made another important announcement at his Udhampur rally.
He said the National Conference will grant “internal regional autonomy” to all three regions of the State including Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh by introducing bill in first session of the Legislative Assembly after the party was voted to power. He added that regional autonomy will empower every segment of society, every region and sub regions politically and economically.
Reiterating that war with Pakistan was no solution, Farooq Abdullah said India and Pakistan have fought four wars but still their boundaries were same.
“Not an inch has changed after the wars. Only poor people have been killed,” he said, adding that only solution would come through talks and by admitting that the part of Kashmir in Pakistan is theirs and Jammu and Kashmir is ours.
“I’ve saying this earlier also and I’m repeating it again that the solution will emerge through this formula and talks only,” Farooq said. He added that only innocent people are killed in shelling and firing and talks between the two countries would end this.
Calling upon the people to participate in large number in the upcoming Panchayat elections, Farooq said when his party was voted to power, it would scrap “indirect elections” of Sarpanches, which has been introduced by the present Government and would restore “direct election”. He called upon the people to field strong women in the Panchayat elections, who can fight for their rights as they have 33 per cent reservation in the elections.
Dr Abdullah lambasted the BJP for dividing the nation on religion and said this dispensation has negated the vision of freedom fighters, who gave sacrifices to free India from the shackles of British.
“At that point of time, the freedom stalwarts did not think in terms of Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs but their paramount mission was to seek freedom for India, the abode of all faiths”, he said, adding that the divisive forces have trampled the spirit of freedom. He, however, exuded confidence that this gloomy era will be over soon and the day will come when the India of Mahatma Gandhi will be retrieved again.
Coming down heavily on the RSS, the National Conference president said during the freedom struggle its top brass “praised the British” and now its ranks were “honouring the killer of Father of Nation.” During 1975 emergency, he said, the RSS supported Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, according to a book penned by Rajeshwar Rao, and said that the support was in lieu of forced family planning of Muslims during those horrendous days.”
Farooq questioned the neutrality of the BJP led NDA Government over the US acknowledgement of Jerusalem as capital of Israel. “Like United Kingdom, France and other countries, New Delhi should have taken a position over the disputed status of Jerusalem”, he said and assailed US President Donald Trump for his illogical decision.
The National Conference president also referred to the circumstances leading to safe passage of terrorists at Kandhar during the tenure of Atal Behari Vajpayee as Prime Minister and said the situation has now taken such a turn that India’s pleas in the United Nations over declaration of Maulana Azhar as a global terrorist is being vetoed by China.
“The BJP must have some sort of introspection and must remember the nation wants sacrifices”, he said and accused the party of sowing seeds of hate and intolerance in the country. He cautioned the people against the BJP’s machinations and said National Conference will have to play its designated role in strengthening bonds of amity and brotherhood between various segments of society and the three regions of the State.
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